vaughn
@vaughn.bsky.social
idk tbd \\ marseille \\ pizza \\ grouchy
www.vaughntan.org
www.vaughntan.org
i've made a working (but verrrrry hacky) prototype of an AI-powered tool for helping users think critically while using the tool to write reasoned arguments (so #meta, i know). here's a screenshot of it, dripping primordial ooze. project details here: vaughntan.org/aiux
September 12, 2025 at 4:24 PM
i've made a working (but verrrrry hacky) prototype of an AI-powered tool for helping users think critically while using the tool to write reasoned arguments (so #meta, i know). here's a screenshot of it, dripping primordial ooze. project details here: vaughntan.org/aiux
A game for experiencing not-knowings; things that are invisible for a long time; marsupials.
uncertaintymindset.substack.com/p/gbw352025
uncertaintymindset.substack.com/p/gbw352025
August 28, 2025 at 3:03 PM
A game for experiencing not-knowings; things that are invisible for a long time; marsupials.
uncertaintymindset.substack.com/p/gbw352025
uncertaintymindset.substack.com/p/gbw352025
i wrote something a while ago about the advantages of designing voluntarily for uncertainty (vs being unexpectedly ambushed by uncertainty).
seems pertinent rn?
uncertaintymindset.substack.com/p/13-revelat...
seems pertinent rn?
uncertaintymindset.substack.com/p/13-revelat...
April 4, 2025 at 7:35 AM
i wrote something a while ago about the advantages of designing voluntarily for uncertainty (vs being unexpectedly ambushed by uncertainty).
seems pertinent rn?
uncertaintymindset.substack.com/p/13-revelat...
seems pertinent rn?
uncertaintymindset.substack.com/p/13-revelat...
i write lots about how an uncertainty mindset changes what we see and how we interpret it in ways that are useful when the situation we face is uncertain not risky.
having the wrong mindset leads to making the wrong decisions. these can have serious consequences.
www.newyorker.com/magazine/199...
having the wrong mindset leads to making the wrong decisions. these can have serious consequences.
www.newyorker.com/magazine/199...
March 29, 2025 at 10:37 AM
i write lots about how an uncertainty mindset changes what we see and how we interpret it in ways that are useful when the situation we face is uncertain not risky.
having the wrong mindset leads to making the wrong decisions. these can have serious consequences.
www.newyorker.com/magazine/199...
having the wrong mindset leads to making the wrong decisions. these can have serious consequences.
www.newyorker.com/magazine/199...
last july, on a small gravel beach in Marseille, i observed that every other beachgoer was reading a hardcopy work of overtly serious fiction (dickens, chekhov, piketty 😑, etc) while being filmed by an associate. i, of cse, was reading a nero wolfe book by rex stout on a nearly decade-old kindle.
March 19, 2025 at 2:27 AM
last july, on a small gravel beach in Marseille, i observed that every other beachgoer was reading a hardcopy work of overtly serious fiction (dickens, chekhov, piketty 😑, etc) while being filmed by an associate. i, of cse, was reading a nero wolfe book by rex stout on a nearly decade-old kindle.
here's a relevant sentiment for the present time
March 15, 2025 at 10:06 PM
here's a relevant sentiment for the present time
on a different platform, in nov 2020, i asked whether our current version of democratic theory makes an implicit assumption of a largely homogeneous electorate that doesn't have fundamentally irreconcilable values.
we seem to be exploring this in several countries rn.
we seem to be exploring this in several countries rn.
March 14, 2025 at 2:06 AM
on a different platform, in nov 2020, i asked whether our current version of democratic theory makes an implicit assumption of a largely homogeneous electorate that doesn't have fundamentally irreconcilable values.
we seem to be exploring this in several countries rn.
we seem to be exploring this in several countries rn.
i designed idk as a tool for learning how to become more comfortable with uncertainty. these decks are headed for the innovation team of a global [redacted] corp.
more info here: www.productivediscomfort.org
or drop me a note if you want to chat about idk/ building org capacity for uncertainty
more info here: www.productivediscomfort.org
or drop me a note if you want to chat about idk/ building org capacity for uncertainty
November 28, 2024 at 5:21 PM
i designed idk as a tool for learning how to become more comfortable with uncertainty. these decks are headed for the innovation team of a global [redacted] corp.
more info here: www.productivediscomfort.org
or drop me a note if you want to chat about idk/ building org capacity for uncertainty
more info here: www.productivediscomfort.org
or drop me a note if you want to chat about idk/ building org capacity for uncertainty
you can't build or use AI systems effectively without meaning-making but AI discourse isn't talking about it. (meaning-making /= generating outputs.)
here's a diag illustrating where meaning-making fits into AI.
read more here: uncertaintymindset.substack.com/p/ai-meaning...
here's a diag illustrating where meaning-making fits into AI.
read more here: uncertaintymindset.substack.com/p/ai-meaning...
May 23, 2024 at 8:11 AM
you can't build or use AI systems effectively without meaning-making but AI discourse isn't talking about it. (meaning-making /= generating outputs.)
here's a diag illustrating where meaning-making fits into AI.
read more here: uncertaintymindset.substack.com/p/ai-meaning...
here's a diag illustrating where meaning-making fits into AI.
read more here: uncertaintymindset.substack.com/p/ai-meaning...
Just finished hosting the 14th, final ep. in a series about not-knowing. Our wide-ranging discussion focused on concrete, low-cost, low-threat tactics internal change agents can use to get their orgs to engage with not-knowing. Summary coming soon.
More on the project: vaughntan.org/notknowing
More on the project: vaughntan.org/notknowing
February 15, 2024 at 9:48 PM
Just finished hosting the 14th, final ep. in a series about not-knowing. Our wide-ranging discussion focused on concrete, low-cost, low-threat tactics internal change agents can use to get their orgs to engage with not-knowing. Summary coming soon.
More on the project: vaughntan.org/notknowing
More on the project: vaughntan.org/notknowing
A year into thinking about how to relate better to not-knowing, the problem feels way more tractable.
This diagram is WIP for this week's discussion (on Thu 18/1) — you should join: interintellect.com/salon/thinki...
Full article coming soon 🤞
This diagram is WIP for this week's discussion (on Thu 18/1) — you should join: interintellect.com/salon/thinki...
Full article coming soon 🤞
January 15, 2024 at 12:04 PM
A year into thinking about how to relate better to not-knowing, the problem feels way more tractable.
This diagram is WIP for this week's discussion (on Thu 18/1) — you should join: interintellect.com/salon/thinki...
Full article coming soon 🤞
This diagram is WIP for this week's discussion (on Thu 18/1) — you should join: interintellect.com/salon/thinki...
Full article coming soon 🤞
Just finished a deep dive into broad action approaches suitable for not-knowing — another fascinating and wide-ranging conversation in a monthly series on not-knowing.
interintellect.com/series/think...
Join the next one on 18 Jan 2024, on tools for relating to not-knowing.
interintellect.com/series/think...
Join the next one on 18 Jan 2024, on tools for relating to not-knowing.
December 21, 2023 at 6:48 PM
Just finished a deep dive into broad action approaches suitable for not-knowing — another fascinating and wide-ranging conversation in a monthly series on not-knowing.
interintellect.com/series/think...
Join the next one on 18 Jan 2024, on tools for relating to not-knowing.
interintellect.com/series/think...
Join the next one on 18 Jan 2024, on tools for relating to not-knowing.
Join us on Thu 12/21 for a convo about broad action approaches for not-knowing — including experiments + experiment portfolios, deck-stacking, value negotiation, and goal super-ordination. First-timers v. welcome!
More info here: bit.ly/nk12approaches
More info here: bit.ly/nk12approaches
December 19, 2023 at 8:46 PM
Join us on Thu 12/21 for a convo about broad action approaches for not-knowing — including experiments + experiment portfolios, deck-stacking, value negotiation, and goal super-ordination. First-timers v. welcome!
More info here: bit.ly/nk12approaches
More info here: bit.ly/nk12approaches
Another incredibly stimulating, wide-ranging conversation tonight — this one about what a mindset for not-knowing looks like, and how to build one.
3 more episodes in the series about not-knowing. The next one is on Dec 21, and you should join us!
interintellect.com/series/think...
3 more episodes in the series about not-knowing. The next one is on Dec 21, and you should join us!
interintellect.com/series/think...
November 16, 2023 at 10:15 PM
Another incredibly stimulating, wide-ranging conversation tonight — this one about what a mindset for not-knowing looks like, and how to build one.
3 more episodes in the series about not-knowing. The next one is on Dec 21, and you should join us!
interintellect.com/series/think...
3 more episodes in the series about not-knowing. The next one is on Dec 21, and you should join us!
interintellect.com/series/think...
Ep.10 of my @interintellect_ series was an invigorating discussion about 1) how not-knowing is self-generative, and 2) seeing not-knowing as a strategic opportunity requiring a different mindset/approach compared to risk. Highlights soon.
Book outline: vaughntan.org/notknowing
Book outline: vaughntan.org/notknowing
October 19, 2023 at 8:42 PM
Ep.10 of my @interintellect_ series was an invigorating discussion about 1) how not-knowing is self-generative, and 2) seeing not-knowing as a strategic opportunity requiring a different mindset/approach compared to risk. Highlights soon.
Book outline: vaughntan.org/notknowing
Book outline: vaughntan.org/notknowing
An excellent conversation about future-ness + not-knowing, with lots of discussion about tools to makes orgs more comfortable with the idea of not-knowing.
Summary coming soon.
Check out the monthly series here: interintellect.com/series/think...
Summary coming soon.
Check out the monthly series here: interintellect.com/series/think...
September 21, 2023 at 8:35 PM
An excellent conversation about future-ness + not-knowing, with lots of discussion about tools to makes orgs more comfortable with the idea of not-knowing.
Summary coming soon.
Check out the monthly series here: interintellect.com/series/think...
Summary coming soon.
Check out the monthly series here: interintellect.com/series/think...
in case you've missed some recent writing and newsletters ... links below are all at vaughntan.org/now-ish
September 2, 2023 at 11:22 AM
in case you've missed some recent writing and newsletters ... links below are all at vaughntan.org/now-ish
what good hainanese chx rice looks like
August 18, 2023 at 6:33 AM
what good hainanese chx rice looks like
just here thinking about why some countries have better everyday food than others
August 18, 2023 at 6:31 AM
just here thinking about why some countries have better everyday food than others
a national service socialization bouncypark
July 31, 2023 at 12:18 PM
a national service socialization bouncypark
